The Boston Red Sox's final pick of Day One of the MLB Draft came in the third round, as the 87th overall pick. They used that spot to select right-handed pitcher Anthony Eyanson out of LSU.
Eyanson was a surprising pick for all the right reasons. No one expected the LSU star to be available that late. He ranked at No. 40 on MLB's draft prospect rankings and No. 32 on Baseball America's list. A Red Sox scout said Eyanson was an option for pick 33, the one they got as compensation in the Quinn Priester trade. They ended up landing him 54 picks later.
Eyanson came on strong as the year went on for LSU in 2025. His best pitch is a devastating slider, and he features a good curveball.
Eyanson sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and tops out at 98 miles per hour. The Red Sox have seen significant improvements in fastball velocity from their prospects in recent years. If they can improve the movement, and maybe even tick up the velocity, that's a legitimately terrifying potential pitch.
Red Sox got a steal with the No. 87 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft by picking Anthony Eyanson
With the 87th pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Boston Red Sox select Anthony Eyanson!@AnthonyEyanson | @RedSox pic.twitter.com/k2Cn45Tfs8
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) July 14, 2025
Boston is likely going under slot value with the 33rd overall pick, right-handed pitcher Marcus Phillips. That will allow them to spend a little extra money to ensure they get Eyanson.
The Red Sox managed to snatch up three legitimate potential frontline starting pitcher prospects in their first four picks. Eyanson might have been the last of the group, but that doesn't make him the least interesting.
Obviously, it's tough to grade a draft immediately after. We haven't seen any of these guys even touch a minor league field yet. The pitchers (especially the early-round guys) likely won't throw a minor league pitch in 2025.
It's incredibly hard to look at the Red Sox's Day One picks and not be thrilled, though. Eyanson is a big reason for that, as his potential feels significantly higher than his 87th overall selection.